Design Thinking Frameworks

Business / By / April 8, 2022

Design thinking is an iterative, non-linear design methodology that is particularly useful in solving complex or poorly defined problems.

Understanding design thinking 

Many informed individuals consider design thinking to be the holy grail of innovation and by extension, the cure for company stagnation.

In fact, design thinking has been credited with turning Airbnb from an ailing start-up into a billion-dollar business. Apple, Uber, and the countless new companies they inspired also owe much of their success to innovation. Despite its obvious association with success, however, innovation remains a somewhat esoteric concept.

The origins of design thinking can be traced back to the work of John E. Arnold in 1959. Arnold, a Stanford University engineering professor, taught engineers to approach problems as creatively as designers do. However, design thinking did not enter the world of business until 2005 when Stanford began teaching it as a means of technical and social innovation.

Today, design thinking is both an ideology and a process that endeavors to solve complex problems in a user-centric fashion. Generated solutions must be:

  • Technically feasible – is the solution able to be turned into functional products and processes in the near future?
  • Economically viable – can the organization afford to implement the solution as part of a sustainable business model? 
  • Desirable for the user – does the solution meet a real human need? Is it for the people?

The five stages of the design thinking process

The design thinking process outlines five steps that help the team adopt a designer’s mindset and approach a problem from the user’s perspective.

The five steps of the design thinking process include:

  1. Empathize – in the first step, it is important to observe and engage with the target audience. Who are the end-users and what are the challenges they face? What expectations and needs must be met? Empathy is built by conducting interviews, surveys, and observation sessions.
  2. Define – based on the information gathered in the first step, define a clear problem statement that details the specific problem to be addressed. A good problem statement is human-centric and prioritizes user needs above all else. The statement also guides the rest of the process and helps the business keep the user in mind at all times.
  3. Ideate – with the problem made clear, brainstorm ways to address unmet needs by identifying novel solutions and approaching the problem from a different perspective. Ideation should be done quickly using any number of different brainstorming frameworks. Here, the idea is to generate as many ideas as possible with less regard for how feasible the idea may be in reality. The team should then collaboratively discuss and evaluate each idea ready for the next step.
  4. Prototype – the team should then create tangible products or prototypes of the concept ideas they want to test. A tangible product is something that can be tested by users and is crucial in maintaining a user-centric approach. Prototypes are basic representations of the intended solution and can take the form of simple paper models or more complex digital products.
  5. Test – the prototype must then be tested and improved via user feedback. Though this is the final step in design thinking, it is an iterative process where the problem is often redefined multiple times to develop a deeper understanding and empathy for the customer. The team should then revisit the problem statement and ensure the solution is meeting user needs or addressing frustrations.

Key takeaways:

  • Design thinking is an iterative, non-linear design methodology that is particularly useful in solving complex or poorly defined problems.
  • Design thinking is an ideology and a process that endeavors to solve complex problems in a user-centric fashion. Solutions must be technically feasible, economically viable, and desirable from the point of view of the user.
  • Design thinking occurs via five steps: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. Teams should cycle through the fifth step until they arrive at a solution that addresses the original problem statement.

Design Thinking

design-thinking
Tim Brown, Executive Chair of IDEO, defined design thinking as “a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.” Therefore, desirability, feasibility, and viability are balanced to solve critical problems.

Jobs-to-be Done

jobs-to-be-done
The jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) framework defines, categorizes, captures, and organizes consumer needs. The jobs-to-be-done framework is based on the premise that consumers buy products and services to get jobs done. While products tend to come and go, the consumer need to get jobs done endures indefinitely. This theory was popularized by Tony Ulwick, who also detailed his book Jobs To Be Done: Theory to Practice.

Business Model Canvas

business-model-canvas
The business model canvas is a framework proposed by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur in Busines Model Generation enabling the design of business models through nine building blocks comprising: key partners, key activities, value propositions, customer relationships, customer segments, critical resources, channels, cost structure, and revenue streams.

Lean Startup Canvas

lean-startup-canvas
The lean startup canvas is an adaptation by Ash Maurya of the business model canvas by Alexander Osterwalder, which adds a layer that focuses on problems, solutions, key metrics, unfair advantage based, and a unique value proposition. Thus, starting from mastering the problem rather than the solution.

Blitzscaling Canvas

blitzscaling-business-model-innovation-canvas
The Blitzscaling business model canvas is a model based on the concept of Blitzscaling, which is a particular process of massive growth under uncertainty, and that prioritizes speed over efficiency and focuses on market domination to create a first-scaler advantage in a scenario of uncertainty.

VTDF Framework

business-model-template
A tech business model is made of four main components: value model (value propositions, mission, vision), technological model (R&D management), distribution model (sales and marketing organizational structure), and financial model (revenue modeling, cost structure, profitability and cash generation/management). Those elements coming together can serve as the basis to build a solid tech business model.

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